Remote Patrol: Eyes on the picks, not the playoffs
By JOHN C. COTEY
Published April 30, 2004
The NFL draft on ESPN and ESPN2 was the most-viewed in ESPN's 25-year history of televising the event as more than 31-million people tuned in for the 17-plus hours of coverage. That marks an 8 percent increase from last year.
The seven hours carried by ESPN on Saturday had a 3.8 rating. Locally, the coverage from noon-7 p.m. posted a 4.0. Once ESPN2 took over for the Saturday night session, the national rating dropped to 1.1 (1.2 locally), and Sunday's coverage got a 2.1 on ESPN (from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.) and 1.1 on ESPN2 (1-4:45 p.m.).
Locally, Sunday's coverage on ESPN was a 1.5 rating, and ESPN2 netted a 1.6.
TNT's playoff basketball coverage was not as lucky going head-to-head with the draft as viewers clearly preferred picks over pick-and-rolls. The first-round game between Miami and New Orleans earned a 1.0 rating (0.3 in Tampa Bay), and Detroit and Milwaukee had a 1.6 (0.8 locally).
Bandwagon filling up
Cathy Weeden, general manager of Sunshine Network, said Game 3 of the East semifinals between the Lightning and Canadiens drew an average 5.5 rating in the Tampa Bay area and peaked at 8.4. Weeden said that is a Sunshine record for Lightning telecasts, which she said averaged between 1 and 2 during the regular season. A ratings point equals 16,443 homes.
"That's tremendous," Weeden said of the Game 3 rating. "Obviously, you've got a lot of new people jumping on because it's fun to be in the playoffs. That's a lot of new viewers we can build into next year."
Encore, encore
Dream Job, which ESPN is trumpeting as a major success after posting a 1.2 overall rating, will be back for a second season beginning in January.
Stuart Scott will return as host. The show will follow its blueprint as contestants will again be selected from a national search and compete to earn a contract with ESPN.
You don't say?
For the third consecutive week, ESPN2's Major League Soccer telecast will feature its most known player, 14-year-old phenom Freddy Adu, when his D.C. United team takes on San Jose at 4 p.m. Saturday.
She's baaack
Okay, so maybe it's not TiVo worthy, but everyone enjoys slowing down for a good fender bender, no? At 10 p.m. Sunday on Comedy Central, The Man Show host Doug Stanhope battles figure skater and (cough) professional boxer Tonya Harding in a three-round battle. Harding is being trained, supposedly, by The Man Show co-host Joe Rogan while Stanhope isn't training and doing as much drinking and smoking as possible.
The judges for the fight will be two Juggy girls and The Man Show's "Blind Guy," who I believe also have scored some Don King-promoted fights.
Fans in charge
For the first time in the 12-year history of the ESPY Awards, fans will choose the winners.
The nominees will be revealed in a special on ESPN on June 21, and voting at espn.com begins afterward for all 34 categories (17 individual awards and 17 others pitting athletes from different sports against each other). Voting ends July 9, and the ESPYs air July 18 (though the event is actually four days earlier).
Around the dial
The Storm and Orlando tangle at 3 p.m. Sunday on Ch. 8, and St. Louis Rams quarterback and Arena football poster child Kurt Warner will join hosts Al Trautwig and analyst Glenn Parker in the studio. Bob Papa (play-by-play), Pat Haden (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (reporter) will broadcast the game. ... Recently retired open wheel race car driver Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner, will appear every weeknight on ESPN2's SportsCenter at the Indy 500 (May 10-28) at 6:30 p.m. and work as an analyst on ESPN and ESPN2's Indy 500 practice and qualifying coverage.
